Posts by Tom Johnston
The Best Christmas Pudding Ever – Courtesy of Stephen Harris
Stephen Harris After Stir-up Sunday in this week’s On The Side, what else could I feature today? I am both grateful to, and traumatised by, Stephen Harris of The Sportsman in Kent. For some years I have been making my own Christmas pud, using a recipe which appeared in The Telegraph some years ago. His recipe makes two…
Read MoreStirred by Stir-up Sunday?
For a number of years now I have been making my own Christmas pudding. While I guess my mum did too, at least in the early days, I have no recollection of any great tradition surrounding it, the silver threepenny excepted. I normally get round to it in the latter part of November, but when…
Read MoreTiramisu
Having mentioned tiramisu in Wednesday’s On The Side, it seemed rude to let it pass by today’s column. Sadly, it has become a bit of a cliché. You are unlikely to find many dessert menus in Italian restaurants from which it’s absent. Yet the reason dishes become so ubiquitous is that they sell well. Put…
Read MoreThe Palmerston, Edinburgh
The Palmerston Restaurant & Bakery 1 Palmerston Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AF 0131 220 1794 www.thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk The Bill Set Lunch (Wednesday to Friday) 2 courses £16.00 | 3 courses £19.00 A la carte Starters £6.50 – £10.00 | Mains £15.00 – £22.00 Desserts £5.00 – £6.00 The Score Cooking 8.5/10 | Service 5/5 |…
Read MoreWell, Here’s Another Nice Mess…
Were you as shocked as I to read of the recent death of Aldo Campeol owner of Le Beccherie in Treviso in northern Italy? Shock at the passing of a 93 year old man? Hardly, but it was the news that he was credited as the father of tiramisu, which had me shaking my head…
Read MoreRecipes from Coasts & Waters by Christopher Trotter
In On The Side on Wednesday we featured Coasts & Waters, the latest cook book from the prolific pen of Christopher Trotter. Many thanks to Christopher for permission to reproduce these two excerpts. The first is an interesting fish curry; the second is a fine explanation of a skill which many have struggled to master,…
Read MoreThe Crusoe, Lower Largo, Fife
The Crusoe 2 Main Street, Lower Largo, by Leven, Fife KY8 6BT 01333 406775 The Bill Nibbles (excluding oysters) £4.00 – £5.50 | Starters £5.50 – £10.00 Mains £14.00 – £27.50 | Desserts £1.50 – £7.50 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 19.5/25 The Kingdom of…
Read MoreBooks As Gifts – Coasts & Waters; Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – And More
I hesitate to use the C word, but we have now passed Hallowe’en. I find a good bookshop to be the source of a perfect Christmas present for many. If anyone on your gift list is at all interested in food, there is a plethora of suggestions for all levels of expertise, and to suit…
Read MoreAn Ignoramus Does Sourdough
Begin with your Banneton Now, whatever you do, don’t misread the title. It does not say An Idiot’s Guide To Sourdough. Such articles with their condescending titles are produced by experts who have decided to descend from Mount Olympus to impart a little wisdom to mere mortals such as you and me. Armed with their erudition, we will…
Read MoreLand, Birmingham – Guest Reviewer Miranda Heggie
Land 30 Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row, Birmingham B2 5HU 0121 236 2313 www.land.restaurant The Bill 4 courses £30 | 6 courses £39 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 4/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 21/25 When thinking of Birmingham’s architecture, you’d be forgiven for conjuring up a mental image of sprawling…
Read MoreChef Watch – Christopher Trotter, Fife’s Food Ambassador
Chef Watch Featuring Christopher Trotter, Fife’s Food Ambassador How long have you been a chef? More years than I care to remember! My hotel management training began at the Savoy in London in 1977. The one year I was meant to spend in the kitchens turned into three. It was the most amazing experience. Why…
Read MoreKnockendarroch Hotel & Restaurant, Pitlochry
Knockendarroch Hotel & Restaurant Higher Oakfield, Pitlochry, Perthshire PH16 5HT 01796 473473 www.knockendarroch.co.uk The Bill Dinner Only: 3 courses £49.00 The Score Cooking 7.5/10 | Service 5/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 20.5/25 The power of the staycation. For those who don’t now it, Pitlochry is a pretty Scottish village just off…
Read MoreChipotle and The World’s Greatest Chile Con Carne
A bit like Lord Reith’s BBC my mission has been both to entertain and to educate. The problem is that you were the ones who were intended to be educated, not me. Mind you, I consider my weekly Italian lesson a failure if my teacher hasn’t learned something new: similarly, the amount of knowledge I’ve…
Read MoreThe Food Producers: Cameron Bell of The Smiddy, Texas BBQ Experts
Cameron Bell It’s midday on a sunny Sunday, and I’m here for my lesson at The Smiddy Night School in Powderhall. Now I know what you’re thinking. This is just one example of the flexibility and adaptability of the amazing business run by Cameron Bell, wife Emma Roeder and their team from converted blacksmith’s premises.…
Read MoreJalapeño and Chipotle
As I said on Wednesday, you can do anything (well, anything that’s legal, decent, truthful and honest – this column has standards) with jalapeños that you could do with most other chillies. You’ll all have your own favourites, so let’s travel a little. Firstly, snacking in the States. Some years ago my eldest offspring was…
Read MoreChow’s Eating House, Parkgate, The Wirral, Cheshire
Chow’s Eating House The Parade, Parkgate, Neston, The Wirral CH64 6RW 0151 336 2385 (No active website) The Bill Starters £3.00 – £16.00 | Mains £9.00 – £22.00 Desserts £3.50 – £6.00 | Set Menus £10.00 – £42.00 p/p The Score Cooking 6/10 | Service 4/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 18/25…
Read MoreThe Food Alphabet: J is for Jalapeño
Sometimes one is simply spoiled for choice. You can alight on a letter for a food alphabet columns and lo! the world is your oyster. As it may turn out to be when we get to O in a few months’ time. But J? Fewer examples than you might think. Jackfruit, currently best friend to vegans. I rejected…
Read MoreButternut Squash Soup with Chilli and Coconut
Most of us have a favourite season. Mine is autumn. Ask many of my fellow autumnal devotees what they love, and many will cite the colours. In one sense, I do too, but more from the cook’s perspective. Last week the vivid purple of brambles had centre stage. Round about now, magazine editors are adorning…
Read MoreSholeh Persian Restaurant, Glasgow
Sholeh Persian Restaurant 146 – 148 Nelson Street, Glasgow, G5 8EJ 0141 418 0796 www.sholehglasgow.com The Bill Set Lunch 2 courses £10.50 | Set Dinner 2 courses £12.50 A la carte Starters £3.90 – £4.95 (5 for £16.95 including naan) Mains £8.95 – £18.45 Desserts £1.95 – £5.95 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service…
Read MoreBook Review – Chewing The Fat by Jay Rayner
Chewing The Fat: Tasting Notes From A Greedy Life Jay Rayner Guardian Faber pp136 £6.99 I have long believed that Jay and I…
Read MoreBramble and Apple Crumble
What has gone wrong with the world? While some types of foraging may be a little esoteric – mushrooms, for example, potentially deadly if you don’t know what you’re doing – nothing could be simpler than bramble picking. Well, apart from the jaggy bits, and the permanent staining. I have recently returned from a holiday…
Read MoreNick’s Bridge of Allan – Guest Reviewer David Dickson; Nick’s at Port of Menteith
Nick’s, Bridge of Allan (currently closed) 28 Henderson Street, Bridge of Allan, FK9 4HR 01786 831616 www.nicksonhendersonst.com The Bill Starters £3.00 – £8.00 | Sandwiches £7.00 – £8.00 Mains £12.00 – £24.00 | Desserts ? The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 | Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 19/25 To those of who…
Read MoreChef Watch – Willie McCurrach OBE FIH
Chef Watch Featuring Willie McCurrach OBE FIH, formerly Head of School, City of Glasgow College, Food Technology How long have you been a chef? I have been a chef for a total of 50 years and loved every minute of my career. I started as a student at Aberdeen Technical College and was really impressed…
Read MorePartridge with Wild Mushrooms
We really aim to be seasonal here, and today we hit double top. The partridge season started at the beginning of September. While it has been a rotten year for grouse, partridge are plentiful. September is also prime time for wild mushrooms. If you forage for your own, you won’t need me to tell you…
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